{"id":2569,"date":"2008-04-10T13:04:58","date_gmt":"2008-04-10T13:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/?p=2569"},"modified":"2008-04-10T13:04:58","modified_gmt":"2008-04-10T13:04:58","slug":"2008-4-10-al-hiwar-channel-first-victim-of-satellite-charter-html","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/?p=2569","title":{"rendered":"al-Hiwar channel first victim of satellite charter?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Below is a letter sent by the Committee to Protect Journalists to the chairman of Nilesat regarding the ban of al-Hiwar<\/a>, a London-based satellite channel, which is apparently the first victim of the new Arab Information Ministers’ Charter on Satellite TV<\/a>:<\/p>\n

April 8, 2008<\/p>\n

Mr. Amin Bassiouni<\/p>\n

Chairman<\/p>\n

Nilesat
P.O. Box 72<\/p>\n

6th of October City, Egypt<\/p>\n

Via Facsimile: +202 384 00 402<\/p>\n

Dear Mr. Bassiouni:<\/p>\n

The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express its deep concern about your company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to stop carrying the signal of the London-based Al-Hewar Television.<\/p>\n

Nilesat, an Egyptian government-owned satellite transmission company, stopped carrying the channel on April 1 without warning or explanation, according to international news reports and Egypt-based journalists. The station remains accessible to viewers on the Atlantic Bird satellite system, according to news reports.<\/p>\n

The public silence of your company, coupled with the recently promulgated Arab Information Ministers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 charter on satellite broadcasting, has prompted speculation that the decision comes in retaliation for the station\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s critical reporting on Egyptian and Arab world politics. The Arab Information Ministers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 charter, adopted in February, calls for vague bans on broadcasting that has a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153negative influence on social peace and national unity,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd that is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in contradiction with the principles of Arab solidarity\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd or that defames Arab \u00e2\u20ac\u0153leaders or national and religious symbols.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Zaher Birawi, Al-Hewar TV\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s program director, called Nilesat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s move \u00e2\u20ac\u0153surprising\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unjustified.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd Al-Hewar TV said in a statement that it might be linked to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the dissatisfaction of the Egyptian government with the high level of freedom with which the channel tackles different issues, particularly those related to the situation in Egypt.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd<\/p>\n

Al-Hewar features talk shows such as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Peoples\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Rights,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd which often invites human rights activists harassed or persecuted by Arab governments, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Egyptian Papers,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd which has hosted prominent Egyptian government critics such as editor Ibrahim Eissa and dissident judge Hisham Bastawissi.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Egyptian daily Al-Dustour quoted Al-Hewar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lead shareholder Azzam Tamimi as saying that the Nilesat decision could also be related to the channel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coverage of popular support for Palestinians under siege in the Gaza Strip\u00e2\u20ac\u201dstories that highlighted inaction on the part of Arab states and Egypt. <\/p>\n

The secretive closure of Al-Hewar TV bears the markings of censorship and poses a grave threat to the free flow of information. We call on you to publicly clarify the reasons for terminating Al-Hewar TV\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s signal and see to it that the station is able to resume broadcasting immediately.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

Joel Simon<\/p>\n

Executive Director<\/p>\n

Cc:<\/p>\n

His Excellency President Hosni Mubarak<\/p>\n

His Excellency Anas al-Fiqi, Information Minister<\/p>\n

His Excellency Nabil Fahmy, Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S.<\/p>\n

The Honorable Francis J. Ricciardone, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt<\/p>\n

His Excellency Amr Mousa, Secretary-General, League of Arab States<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Below is a letter sent by the Committee to Protect Journalists to the chairman of Nilesat regarding the ban of al-Hiwar<\/a>, a London-based satellite channel, which is apparently the first victim of the new Arab Information Ministers’ Charter on Satellite TV<\/a>:<\/p>\n

April 8, 2008
\n Mr. Amin Bassiouni
\nChairman
\nNilesat
\nP.O. Box 72
\n6th of October City, Egypt
\nVia Facsimile: +202 384 00 402
\n Dear Mr. Bassiouni:
\n The Committee to Protect Journalists is writing to express its deep concern about your company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to stop carrying the signal of the London-based Al-Hewar Television.
\n Nilesat, an Egyptian government-owned satellite transmission company, stopped carrying the channel on April 1 without warning or explanation, according to international news reports and Egypt-based journalists. The station remains accessible to viewers on the Atlantic Bird satellite system, according to news reports.
\n The public silence of your company, coupled with the recently promulgated Arab Information Ministers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 charter on satellite broadcasting, has prompted speculation that the decision comes in retaliation for the station\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s critical reporting on Egyptian and Arab world politics. The Arab Information Ministers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 charter, adopted in February, calls for vague bans on broadcasting that has a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153negative influence on social peace and national unity,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd that is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in contradiction with the principles of Arab solidarity\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd or that defames Arab \u00e2\u20ac\u0153leaders or national and religious symbols.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Zaher Birawi, Al-Hewar TV\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s program director, called Nilesat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s move \u00e2\u20ac\u0153surprising\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unjustified.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd Al-Hewar TV said in a statement that it might be linked to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the dissatisfaction of the Egyptian government with the high level of freedom with which the channel tackles different issues, particularly those related to the situation in Egypt.\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd
\n Al-Hewar features talk shows such as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Peoples\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Rights,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd which often invites human rights activists harassed or persecuted by Arab governments, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Egyptian Papers,\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd which has hosted prominent Egyptian government critics such as editor Ibrahim Eissa and dissident judge Hisham Bastawissi.
\nLast week, the Egyptian daily Al-Dustour quoted Al-Hewar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lead shareholder Azzam Tamimi as saying that the Nilesat decision could also be related to the channel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coverage of popular support for Palestinians under siege in the Gaza Strip\u00e2\u20ac\u201dstories that highlighted inaction on the part of Arab states and Egypt.
\nThe secretive closure of Al-Hewar TV bears the markings of censorship and poses a grave threat to the free flow of information. We call on you to publicly clarify the reasons for terminating Al-Hewar TV\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s signal and see to it that the station is able to resume broadcasting immediately.
\n Sincerely,
\n Joel Simon
\nExecutive Director
\n Cc:
\nHis Excellency President Hosni Mubarak
\nHis Excellency Anas al-Fiqi, Information Minister
\nHis Excellency Nabil Fahmy, Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S.
\nThe Honorable Francis J. Ricciardone, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt
\nHis Excellency Amr Mousa, Secretary-General, League of Arab States<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[6,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amrani.cc\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}